News
North Norfolk celebrates LGBT
By VICTORIA LEGGETT, North Norfolk News, 29 January 2010
A rainbow flag will be flown across north Norfolk this month to celebrate the area's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
The annual LGBT History Month will be launched at 10am on Monday as North Norfolk District Council joins authorities across the country raising the multi-coloured flag at its Cromer office.
Throughout the February, events will be held across Norfolk to mark and celebrate the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
On February 23, north Norfolk will host a Pride Poetry and Supper evening at Virginia Court, Cromer.
Members of the Norwich Pride Collection will talk about their experiences organising Norfolk's first Pride celebrations, which took place last year, and North Norfolk Pride 2010.
On Thursday Voluntary Norfolk will also host an event as part of the celebrations with an Only Gay in the Village workshop in Neatishead.
Organisations including the police, Age Concern and The Matthew Project will get together from 9am to 1pm to discuss the LGBT community in rural areas and how they can better meet and understand their needs.
In Norfolk, homophobic harassment and abuse represents a high proportion of all hate incidents and crime reported to police.
Steve Blatch, strategic director of NNDC, said LGBT History Month was about replacing ignorance and discrimination with knowledge and understanding.
He said: “The council is committed to promoting equality and in working with partners and local communities to make north Norfolk a safe and inclusive place where everyone can feel comfortable being themselves without fear of prejudice.”
To book a place at the Pride Poetry and Supper evening, call 01263 512398. Tickets are £5.
To find out more about Voluntary Norfolk's workshop, call Jonny Wood on 01263 516018 or email north@voluntarynorfolk.org.uk.
For a full programme for LGBT History Month, visit www.lgbthistorymonth.org.uk.
Vince Laws has been living with HIV for several years and has written a poem for World Aids Day.
North Norfolk News, 27 November 2009
A poignant poem about HIV is written, letter by letter, on rows of medicine bottles and boxes.
The dose of hard-hitting verse is by north Norfolk man Vince Laws who lives with the virus - and sees it as a blessing rather than a death sentence.
So the poet and artist is using his creative talents to highlight the issues, stigma and emotions surrounding the disease in works that will be showcased at events marking World Aids Day.
They include the poem Human, which he will perform and display on the medicine containers, and which combines insight, pathos and dark humour sparked by his HIV.
Despite being diagnosed five years ago on his birthday it is only the past year that Mr Laws, 48, from Oulton, near Aylsham, has needed medication to help his condition.
At its height it meant taking 14 tablets a day and a weekly injection for hepatitis - even before the extra treatments to deal with side effects and depression.
“I had a year of feeling so nauseous. I could not think of anything else, and could not eat. It does your head in, and I just felt like I was under a dark blanket - did not want to go out, and sat in car parks crying,” he said.
“There are 300 medicine bottles and boxes here, and that represents rough a year of treatment.”
But his poetry and art have provided an outlet for dealing with his HIV - though his work also tackles a range of other subjects.
“I want to be known as Vince Laws the artist poet not the HIV poet. I do material about nature, war and Christmas too,” he added. But he hoped some of the messages would provide hope for other sufferers.
“HIV is no longer the death sentence it once was. I know people who have been living with it for 26 years.
“And it made me decide to use my time doing exactly what I want to do, so in that sense I see it as a blessing.”
Mr Laws had a dramatic start to life - involved in a car crash at the age of one which killed his adoptive mother and only saw him discovered the next day, Christmas Day, swaddled in car rugs when the wrecked car was recovered. It too is the subject of one of his poems, Crash.
After many years as a physiotherapist in the Army and civilian life, he moved to Brighton when he “came out” as gay and became deputy editor of the G Scene magazine.
His diagnosis with HIV was a shock even though he knew the risks, but made him focus on what he wanted to do - and now sees him back in Norfolk concentrating on the art and poetry he has dabbled with through his life.
Mr Laws' art takes snippets of poetry and weaves them into thought-provoking pictures and installations.
“Part of you thinks 'I might as well kill myself' but another says 'I have so much to say',” he added
Vince Laws will perform his work at a World Aids Day charity event at the Catherine Wheel pub in St Augustine's Street, Norwich tomorrow, from 8pm.
The following day he will perform poetry at a Brighton WAD event and display Human written on the medicine bottles.
Mr Laws is also hosting a poetry dinner at the Woolpit Swan pub near Bury St Edmunds the following week on December 8 from 7.30.
Anyone interested in his work can e-mail him at vincelaws@gmail.com
Human
Human Immunodeficiency Virus, H. I. V
Human first and foremost
A maker of mistakes
The mistake I made,
Was to fall in love.
Make sure it doesn't happen to you
I is Immunodeficient -
I catch more germs than most,
Of course I prefer to think germs think me
Such an absolutely fabulous host!
V is for virus,
It contains both I and Us.
We're all human first and foremost,
And in the end, all dust.
"THE GIRLS HAVE BEEN RELEASED!!!
It seemed only apt the Girls gave their First full performance of the New Floorshow " THE FULL PACKAGE" at the fabulous Catherine Wheel. It promises to be an evening of Rude Crude Comedy but with a sprinkle of Glitter Feathers & Mayhem. Featuring Special guests..............."
Poet Vince Laws, who performed at Norwich Pride earlier this year, is appearing at the Monday Night Alternative at the Norwich Arts Centre on October 19th. 'I found his honesty totally arresting. He is candid about his views, his sexuality, his beliefs, himself, and the world as he sees it.' Stash Kirkbride, Triangle Magazine, Oct 2009. Also on the bill are local poets Yanny Mac and Will Averill, and headline poet Mr Gee, best know as the alternative poet laureate who starred on Russell Brand's controversial Radio 2 show. The night runs from 8-10pm and entry is £5.
You can also see Vince at "out at the Movies" at Cinema City on Friday 23rd October at 8.45pm where he will be introducing the film TARNATION
Warhol Factory Rejects Presents an..Alice in Wonderland Trash Rave Party
'EAT ME DRINK ME'
Down the Rabbit Hole to an underground UV New York club kids take on English 'turn of the century' psychedelia. Transform to one of Lewis Carrols creations, be it The White Rabbit, Mad Hatter, Queen of hearts or characters from Through the Looking Glass's twisted world. Unusual creatures and bottles of 'Drink Me' potions galore where the mildly eccentric come to play.
Think tripped creatures, think trash wonderland, think steam punk meets UV cyber freak. Dirty Trash Disco meets wonderland electro to please the creatures of the night and set the dance floor alight: Miss Adventure, Fantastic Mrs. Bird Woman, Musicandlights, Davebreaks, Spangle, JayJay
SAT. 24th OCTOBER 2009, TAKE 5 CRYPT (17 Tombland, Norwich) 8PM – 1AM
Entry : £3 – Carnival Attire, £4.50 – Normal Attire
*Prizes for most imaginative outfits*
Some profits to Education Plus http://edplusint.org/index.html
Sponsored by The Ship of Fools www.tsofvintage.com, TATLERS Restraunt: 21 Tombland, 01603 764296
Can you beat Joy and Julie, the Norwich Pride Table Tennis Champs? Challenge them to a game at the monthly Shelly Telly Table Tennis Club Nights. The next one is Friday 9th October, 7-10pm at the Norman Centre, Bignold Rd, Norwich. A fun evening of Ping Pong for players of all abilities with a taste of professional coaching from talented twins Martyn and Richard Stevenson. Cost £5. For more info email shell@shellytelly.co.uk
Taverham Women's Football Team are looking for new players and a manager. We're an LGBT-friendly team so if you're interested please contact Vicky Keene via the Norwich Pride Facebook Group.
Miller Dance School launched a new Ballroom and Latin dance class following Norwich Pride. We've been going a few weeks, but would welcome some more of you gorgeous people on the dance floor. You can join the classes at any time as new dances are taught and there's always people there to help you catch up!
Whether you want to lean some new moves for the club, learn to dance like on Strictly, or just have fun, it's a great start to the weekend. (Sequins and fake tan optional !)
Classes run 7:30 - 8:30 on Friday evenings at Miller Dance on Ropemaker's Row, off Drayton Road. NR3 2DG. Phone 01603 488269, or just turn up!
Clementine, the living fashion doll, is a huge fan of Strictly Come Dancing and like millions of people is following every heel-turn of the hit BBC show. Enjoy this Brucie bonus from Clementine, the pint-size star of Norwich Pride's Camp It Up Cabaret night. She can smell a sequin from 100 paces, so is in glamour heaven at the return of Strictly Come Dancing. See what she had to say about the show in her video blog.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/local/norfolk/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_8269000/8269725.stm
